Trap for refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 13, 1931. EVGRUBER 1,788,948

TRAP FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEY;

Patented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE f EDWARD (mum-in, orCLEVELAND, euro, ASSIGNOR TO EDMUND E. ALLYNE, or CLEVELAND, omo

TRAP FOR BEFRIGERATING .APPABATUS Application fil ed June so, 1928.Serial a... 289,551.

This invention relates to absorption type refrigerating systems, inwhich a suitable refrigerant such as ammonia is generated or driven offfrom a suitable absorbing agent 3 such as water, is condensed orliquefied in a condenser, and collected in an evaporator during theheating cycle; which heating cycle is followedby a refrigerating cycleduring which the refrigerant is gasified, returned to 1 the boiler orstill, and absorbed in the absorbe ing agent therein.

Included in the system on the boiler side of the condenser is a liquidseal trap through which connection between the condenser and the boileris had, the trap having aninlet connection for gas driven oil from theboiler liquor during the heating cycle, and a return connection to theboiler for gas and liquor during the refrigerating .c cle. In such asystem, upon cessation of t e heat it is necessary to initiate returnflow of the gas from the evaporator to the boiler andproduce andcontinue absorption. The initial return impulse usually causes a gob orslug of liquor 26 to be picked up from the condenser and thrown into thetrap. This liquor being cool, its injection into the hot contents of thetrap would ordinarily cause it to quickly be vaporized with violentretarding effect on the refrigerating cycle.

It is an object of my invention to provide means in the trap forwithholding from the liquor in the trap, .such slugs of liquor re- Tothis, 3 end I provide in the trap baflle meansfadapted ceived from thecondenser means.

to collect liquor thus received, and a restricted passage for leadingsaid liquor into the trap liquor with a delayed or retarded and extendedaction so that liquor received at the trap from the condenser will beimmediately separated from the gas but will only gra ually find its wayinto the trap l quor. The exact nature of the invention together withfurther objects andadvantages thereof will be apparent from thefollowing descripcorporated, and. Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional.

tion taken in connection with the accompany-.

view of the illustrative form of trap indicated in Fig. 1.

With reference now to the drawings the boiler or still is indicated at 1and may be of any suitable form heated in any suitable manner such as byan electric current, steam coils, or by the gas burner 2 shown. The gasdistilled from the boiler is conducted by a pipe 3 from its top througha rectifier 4 and thence by a pipe 5 having an upward 1oop5a to a trap6. The rectifier'is in one sense a simple form of condensera'ncludingajacket7 surrounding a portion of the pipe 3 and provlded withconnections 8 through which a cooling agent such as water may becirculated.

The trap 6 includes an outer shell or casing 9 into the top of which thepipe 5 extends, its lower end being open at a lower'level in the trap.The trap is also connected to a return ipe 10, the open end of which isabove the ttom of the pipe 5, said-return pipe communicating at itsother end with a return bend or loop 11 connected to the boiler forcirculating the absorbingagent for cooling pprposes as will laterappear.

. From the top of the trap 6 a downwardly to a condenser-13-including'the evaporator which includes a'tank or reser-' voir 16 and a number ofcooling coils 1700mmunicating with the bottom thereof and connected to atrap 18 draining into thepipe. 15. The loop 11 .has two legs, one ofwhich," marked 21, is exposed to the atmosphere andis not subjected toany cooling effect, so that it is maintained at about the temperature ofthe boiler by'the' heat conducted thereto-along the metal, but the otherleg extends to and isimmersed in cooling 'Waterflin the tank 20. The leg21 is substantially vertical, but the other leg of the loop has arapidlyrising or o nearly vertical portion 22 beyond which the pipeis extendedlaterally. on a more gradual incline 23, to increase the length of pipeincontact with the cooling water; and the pipe communicates with the legat the bottom Condensation continues fora very brief of its rapidlyrisin portion 22. interval, but the pressure in the condenser The trap18 is or the plurpose of mainquickly drops to a point below whichcontaining the charge of use 1 refrigerant in densation can not occur.However, for a 5 the evaporator 16, bg' permitting. return of shortperiod thereafter the cooling efiect at the weaker liquor-t rough the.pipe 715.130 both the condenser and rectifier continues 'the boilerthereturn including any absorbto produce contraction of the gas, but beingagent which may have found its Way to cause the rectifier is close tothe boiler the the evaporator. temperature of the as as it reaches thesame m Pipe 19 is a circulating pipe for the useful is considerably bigor than is the tempera- 7 refrigerant to be delivered from the tank 16ture of'the'gas when it reaches the condenser.

to a low point in the evaporator for evapora- Therefore, there is a muchgreater drop in. tion therein. temperature of the gas at the rectifierthan at The trap 6 has several purposes. It prothe condenser, and duringthe early portion vides aieturn from this point in the system of thecooling'p'eriod the gas contraction at to theboiler throughthe pipe 10,permitting the rectifier is predominant. excess liquor to be returned tothe boiler. The rectifier, therefore, is at first below The-trap 6 alsoserves as a means for permits the point of low pressure asit were,producting free flow from the top of the boiler to ing a suction effectthrough the .pipe 5 upon 7 3n the eva orator during the heating cycle,by the trap 6 'but more important producing compelling the gas returnedfrom the evapa like suction eifect through the pipe 3 uponorator to theboiler during the refrigerating the boiler. In the direction of trap 6said Y 1 period to be introduced to the boiler below efiect is merely toraise the supply of liquor the level of liquor therein. Normally the inthe ipe 5 but in the direction of the boiler tra 6 is filled with liquorto about the level the e ect is to raise the level of liquor thereof t eopen end of the ipe 10, with the lower in with a suction effect in thepipe 10 which end of pipe-5 immersed in said liquor. Durcompletelydrains said pipe of liquor until .ing'the boiling o eration the gasdischarged finally gas enters the loop 11 from the pipe from the boilerubbles out from the lower 1 0. The liquor in said pipe which is de- 3end of pipe5and findsafree-passage through livered at first, therefrigerant in the con- "5 pipe 12 to the condenser, but during theredenser, and the gas which follows it, are all frigerating cycle thegas returning through discharged into the rapidly rising portion 22 pipe12 can not return through pipe 5, x ept of the cooled leg of the loop,the rising by depressing the liquor in the trap and forc- "as bubblesinitiate circulation in the loop, ing it overto the boiler through pipe5, and downwardly through the leg 21 andv upthe bend 5a of this pipe ismade sufliciently wardly through the leg 22, 23. The first high so thatthe leg of liquor thus raised liq or that fl ws fr0m leg 21 past the enfa ti l water l, a d th t ntrance at pipe 10 is relatively hot weakliquor ing gas finds an easier path to the boiler and the bubbles risefar enough to produce 40 All three parts' tobe'coole to wit, the rectheabsorbing agent circulated through the tifi th ta k 20,. 1 th t k 14,are loop 11 and produces absorption therein of plied with a' -coolingagent such as water, th gas flowing from p1pe 10 I which may becirculated separately and con- The n efiect 0f l3 h6'l0(38.t1011 oftherectitiiiuously thro b all of these parts,'or in b n th boil r and trap6 and of series through t em. keeping the tr.ap' 6 -cooled duringv theboiling In operation the gas distilled from the p tienis toin tiatereturn flow o the g boiler is first delivered'to the rectifier, wherefrom evaporator to the boiler very it encounters the cooling efiect ofthe jacket p mp y as t h 18 u ff nd there y th ough the pi e 10 and 111, active circulation. Such circulation cools 6 7 causing d ti i t 1iid f f initiate absorption, which is .continued y if th ab b eg twhimaybe throughout the refrigerating period and, as i d ev ntr i gg with.th g d h is-usual ii these systems, produces the necescondensed liquorreturns by gravity. to the y suctlon e ect to continue the flowofboiler. The gas. now partiall cooled, is de- Atthe m ion of his'returiiflow, livered to the trap 6 and thence to the conw v r, as has. alreadybeen described, a 120 denser 13 where it is additionallycooled and, g ofiq or frigerant is usually dIS-' as the pressure increases, isliquefied. The charged fromfihe condense! 111130 he trap, liquefiedrefrigerant in the condenser is deallfl Should be thecase therefrigerant livered to the evaporator pipe 15, the trap belng atlelatlvely temperature as 18 holding i 'th ev omt ll u ful pared withthetrap liquor, should the re 1525 .fiigerant until at the d" f th b ilifrigera itbeiiumediately turned into thetrap:

' period the evaporator is fully charged with l quor-1t ld s immediatelvaporize, setuseful refrigerant, although a slight quans ting up a backpressure who would retard -titymay .also' be present in the condenser.the continuation of the refrigerating cycle.

-05 The "heat is now shut ofi. Therefore, according to my invention I pno an upwardly extending pipe 10.

vide, preferably in the trap as indicated,

means for retarding delivery of this con-' which illustrates anembodiment of my invention, I mount within the cylindrical casing 9 ofthe trap 6 a funnel comprising an inverted cone 24 located in the airspace in the trap and connected at its apex with an open-ended tube 25terminating near the bottom of the casing and thus in the liquorcontaining portion of the trap, which tube forms the small end of thefunnel. The opening in the tube 25 is small and I have found aboutdiameter satisfactory for the purpose. The upper extremity of the largeend of the. funnel is secured with but spaced from the top wall of thecasing 9 in any convenient manner, leaving peripheral clearances 26.Adjacent the periphery of the cone and se-' cured with the top wall ofthe casing is a downwardly extending bafile 27 clearing, the

cone to form .an annular opening thereabout.

Similarly beneath the edge ofthe cone and secured with the side wall ofthe casing is baflle 28 clearing the cone. Small spaced rainage openings29 are provided in the bafile 28 adjacent the casing walls.

By the arrangement described gas enteringthe tra by way of the pipe 12,as during the re rigerating cycle, has a substan- '-tially free path tothe mouth of the pipe by way of the clearance between the cone and thebaflle 27, the clearance 26 between the cone and the casing 9, and theclearance between the cone and the bafile 28. When,

' however, a slug of liquor becomes entrained with the gases enteringthrough the pipe 12, this liquor "impinges from the top wall of thecasing 9 and drops downwardly into the cone. Owing to the small openingin the pipe the liquor will momentarily rise in the cone as indicated,Fig. 2, and only gradually flow downwards through the plpe and into thetrap liquor; eventually, of course, causing overflow of the trap liquorinto the What I claim is:

1. Absorption refrigerating apparatus of A the intermittent cyclic typecomprising a boiler, a condenser, an evaporator, a liquid trap atsubstantially the liquid level inthe boiler, a boiler pipe connectionleading from the top of the boiler to a point below the surface of theliquid in the trap, acondenser pipe leading from a point above thesurface of the liquid in the trap to the .condenser, an evaporator pipeleading from the condenser to the evaporator, a gasv return. pipeleading from a point above the liquid in the trap to the bottom of theboiler, and means in said trap 'above the liquid level therein forreceivin and bafliing the gas as it enters the trap rom the condenserthrough the condenser pipe. 2. Absorption refrigerating apparatus as setforth in claim 1 wherein the means for receivin and baflling thereturning gas in the con enser is provided with bafiled open ingsleading to the liquid in the trap. and the pipes leading to the boiler,and an additional restricted means forleading any liquid collected bysaid means to a point below the surface in the liquid in the trapfor-delivering any liquid gas coming over from the condenser in smallquantities below the surface of the liquid in the trap.

3. Absorption refrigerating apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the meansfor receiving and bafiling the returnin gas in the condenser "comprisesa partition located in the trapabove the liquid therein, extending belowthe opening of the condenser pipeand above the openings of the boilerand gas return pipes, and provided with bafiled openings for bafllingthe flow of gas returning from the condenser and preventing it fromhaving a direct action upon the liquid in the trap and breaking the sealinthe boiler pipe. 4. Absorption refrigerating apparatus as in claim 1wherein means for receiving and bafilingthe gas from the condensercomprisesa funnel-shaped partition arranged in the trap above the liquidtherein, separating the discharge of the condenser pipe from the openends of the boiler and gas return pipes and provided with openings nearits periphery leading from the top-to the bottom of the trap, means forbafliing the discharge through said openings, and including bafllesarranged above and below the periphery of said funnel-shaped partition.i

. 6. Absorption refrigerating apparatus as in claim-1 wherein means forreceiving and baflling the gas from the condenser, comprises afunneLshaped partition arranged in the trap above the liquid therein,sepa-- rating the discharge of the condenser pipe from the open ends ofthe boiler and gas return pipes and provided with openings near itsperiphery leading from the top to i the bottom of the trap, means. forbaflling the discharge through said openings, and a restricted dischargedevice at the apex of said funnel for delivering any liquid gas thereinto the liquid in the trap. 7. Absorption refrigeratingapparatus as r inclaim '1 wherein mea for receiving and 'baiihng the gas from t econdenser 'comprises a funnel-shaped partition arranged in the trapabove the liquid therein, sepa-' rating the discharge of the condenserpipe- 10 from the open ends of the boiler and gas return pipes andprovided with openings near its periphery leading from the topto thebottom of the trap, means for bafliing the discharge through saidopenings, and a '15 restricted discharge device at the,, ,apex of saidfunnel for delivering any liquid gas to the liquid-in the trapcomprising a tube extending from the apex of said funnel-to a point nearthe bottom of the trap.

20, 8. Absorption refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent cyclictype comprising a boiler,- arectifier, a condenser, an evaporator, aliquid trap at substantially the level of the liquid in the boiler, aboiler pipe con- 2 nection leading from the top of the boiler to a lowpoint of the rectifier, a rectifier type leading from the top of therectifier to the trap to a point below the surface of the liquid in thetrap, a condenser pipe leading from a point above the surface of theliquid in the trap to the condenser, an evaporator pipe leading from thecondenser to the evaporator, a gas return pipe leading from a pointabove the liquid in the trap 5 to the bottom of the boiler, and means insaid trap above the liquid level therein for receiving and bafiiing thegas after it enters the trap from the condenser through the condenserpipe. a

40 In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature.

. EDWARD GRUBER.

